


Blood Games

by Allyana McKinn (AllyanaM)



Category: The Count of Monte Cristo - All Media Types, 더 케이투 | The K2 (TV), 미녀의 탄생 | Birth of a Beauty
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood, Bloody, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Healing, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Nightmares, Payback, Peace, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rebirth, Reborn - Freeform, Revenge, Scars, Secret Identity, Secrets, Surgery, Vendettas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28179921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllyanaM/pseuds/Allyana%20McKinn
Summary: Aiko's life ended the moment she saw something she shouldn't have. It's been hard living with the scars, but the important thing is that she survived. Something they never counted on. Spite has a way of making someone fight to live, but the darkness is slowly taking hold. Pretty soon, she's going to lose her final battle and she'll have nothing to show for it.Leo had never paid any attention to the people around him. He had his business and his sister - it was all he needed. But with his sister gone and only the remnants of who she used to be left, the only thing he can see past his rage is the need to avenge her. Nothing will stop him, but no matter what he does, he can’t get close to those responsible.But Aiko can.She could be his salvation, or her madness could take them both.Together, they have a chance for revenge. But will they be enough? This game can only have one winner....





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: There are mentions of violence, rape and PTSD throughout this story but there are NO GRAPHIC DEPECTIONS OF ANY OF THIS. If you are easily triggered, please be advised that this is not for you.

The computer lit up as Leo inserted the USB. The data worm was already breaking through the system, digging for something he could use. Some of the data he could see was  heavily  encrypted, and he’d have to be careful when going through it all later. For now, the encryption was slowing down his software and that could be a problem.

They'd chosen a small private office to break into. Devoid of anything other than a computer, it had the access they needed to get into the system.  Leo worked on gathering whatever information he could while Miles served as a lookout . Leo could already see accounts in the names of those he knew worked with the Trio. This confirmed some of his suspicions.

Miles made soft sound, drawing Leo’s attention to where he stood by the door.

Hearing the prearranged signal, Leo knew that he had two minutes to get the information and get out. But looking at the information that he’d already found, he didn’t have everything he needed yet. He also hadn’t had enough time to break through to the CEO’s computer. From what he could see of their system set up, he would need a few hours at least. He hadn’t expected that. He needed another plan, fast.

Changing tactics, he stopped copying files and downloaded the worm onto the servers.  It would keep looking, marking anything important and finding a way to send it to him without alerting the IT department of the intrusion . It wasn’t ideal considering how long it could take, but it was the best he could do for now.

He shut everything down, he made his way over to the door. They slipped out, running for cover  just  as they heard the guards entering the offices. They crawled  quietly  between the cubicles towards the stairs. As they were about to run over to the door leading to the stairs, they heard something crash behind them.

Leo and Miles froze.

Muffled grumbles and paper-shuffling sounded; one of the guards must have knocked something off one of the desks  . But even with the guards distracted and them being so close to the door, they couldn’t move. They couldn’t risk  being seen . Nobody could know that there had been an intrusion tonight.

Holding themselves still, they waited until the guards had finished and gone to the next set of offices  . After a brief pause, they  slowly  started moving, conscious now of how close the guards were. They managed to reach the stairway and ran down as  quickly  as they could towards the parking lot.  They managed to slip out using a blind spot in the security cameras that Leo had spent weeks making and ran out into the night . The rest of their team was a few streets away, waiting for them.

Finally out of harm’s way, Leo took a deep breath. They had come too close to getting caught tonight. He needed to get to his office immediately so he could go through the data he’d stolen and plan his next steps.

***

* * *

***

Back in his home office, Leo sat back from his computer and continued to stare at his computer screens.

He had to admit, even if only to himself, that this hadn’t been the best plan. There wasn’t much that he could retrieve from the files he had taken that he didn't already know. Sure, he was the best hacker for the job, but to get everything he needed, he would need more access. Something he couldn't get. His data worm also hadn’t reached out to his private network yet.  That alone would time since their servers weren’t accessible unless you were  physically  connected to the system . This was taking longer than he'd accounted for and he wasn't sure if he was willing to leave it to his people. He wanted to do it himself. To feel their terror as he tore into their systems and took everything he needed to destroy them.

That had been his downfall tonight.

He wasn't willing to give others the job of hacking their systems, but he wasn't getting the access he needed. There was nothing else for it. He would have to step back and find someone to break in and get what he needed. He could hack through the data himself, but he would need someone else to do the breaking and entering.  Someone who could get close enough to get the information he needed without getting caught . He could be patient. He could wait as long as he needed to.

Choosing someone from his security team was out of the question. If the Trio had decent sources they would be too vulnerable to attack, or bribery. It was the same for any outside contractors. Sure, there were many names that came to mind, but the skills they had could paint a target on their back.

No, he couldn’t choose anyone that could  be found  out or bought. They would need to be completely loyal to him and to his cause.

He leaned forward, head in hands, and took a deep breath. He needed someone skilled enough to blend in but wouldn’t stand out - a blind spot. His best choice was someone that would want revenge as  badly  as he did and would work with him. Someone the Trio had broken and had nothing left to lose.  There were many that fit that criteria, but without an idea of how vast their network was, it would be difficult to find the right one . He also couldn’t be sure once he did that they wouldn’t turn him down or report him to the Trio to save themselves. People were not something he could predict.

It would take him months to find candidates and verify them. He could wait, but he didn’t want to. He was hungry for revenge. He wanted to watch them lose everything. He  just  needed to find someone with that same need.

With that thought, something long forgotten sparked.


	2. Chapter 2

Leo looked up from his tablet as the car came to a halt. The downtown area was a maze of alleys and dingy-looking apartment blocks.  They had parked a few buildings down from their destination, a block of apartments like any other in the area . But this one was home to someone that had been difficult to find.

“Her mother should be leaving in the next ten minutes. She leaves the same time every day to get to work across the city.” Miles, his security chief, intoned.

Miles was among the handful of people that knew what Leo was doing, and  wholeheartedly  approved . There weren’t many among his close inner circle, but Miles had been with Leo for years. He’d seen everything and was as focused on their goal as he was. Miles was his voice of reason after everything happened, and still was. The rage burned within them both, but Miles had control of his and he put it to use. He took his frustration at the situation and managed to track her down. They'd lost three weeks, but it was worth it. If she joined them, they wouldn't be waiting much longer for the end.

“Aiko Linn. Lives with her mother. Works from home as a freelance writer and hardly leaves. When she does, the furthest she goes is to the local park, but she doesn’t stay for long. Their finances are tight, most of their income going towards paying off medical bills. Records show that after Aiko's accident, all the family’s finances went towards her recovery. She went to an online college and got her high school diploma online. Nobody has seen her in person since she was seventeen.”

Leo had skimmed over Aiko’s file. Miles and his people had dug up her medical records from the accident he was certain the Trio had caused. She had internal scarring and irreparable organ damage. The last report suggested she had scarring covering more than 40% of the left side of her body.  It looked like they had tried to repair and remove as much damage as possible but the surgeries she needed were expensive . There was no mention of how she had gotten these scars or what had caused them. From what he had seen, the doctors had been mainly surprised that she had survived such damage and losing all of that blood, and had focused more on keeping her alive.

“Did you find out anything about the incident?” Leo didn’t remember much about it, and there was nothing in the news; he expected nothing less from them. All he and the other students had  been informed  , if any had asked, was that Aiko had dropped out. That hadn't stopped the rumours. Most had believed that she'd been too poor to afford staying at the elite prep school and forgotten her existence. But some had whispered that she'd crossed the Trio and was most likely lying in a ditch somewhere. The Trio had never denied it. Knowing what he did now, he  was almost certain that they were responsible.

“There was no footage of her leaving the school that day. No phone data or CCTV picking her up anywhere on her route home or anywhere near the school.  She disappears into the school that morning then  is thrown  from a moving car at the hospital entrance that night  . The car that dropped her off  was stolen  .  Police couldn’t interview her for months after she  was admitted  , and when she woke up they couldn’t get any answers out of her either  . She was hysterical when they asked and had to  be sedated . The case is still unsolved.”

They were silent for a while. Leo looked through her file again.  He'd gone through her school and college transcripts, every piece of work she’d published, and weeks’ worth of surveillance  . She seemed to be a logical person - someone he could talk to and reason with. There was  just  the worry of how she would react to what he was about to ask of her.

“Are you sure about this?” Miles asked him again.

“She’s the best candidate. She knows them, knows their weaknesses. She was also one of their victims, so she’ll fight harder than others to destroy them. There will be no chance of her betraying me. If she does, it will be easy enough to get rid of her.”

Miles didn’t have anything to say to that. They waited in silence until a lone figure left the apartment building and walked out of sight. Leo, Miles and another bodyguard got out and made their way into the apartment building. They checked that nobody around would see or overhear them before Leo knocked on Aiko's door. There was a pause before he heard the sound of scratching on the other side. The door didn’t move. He moved in closer.

“What do you want?” Her voice was a horse whisper, nothing like he remembered.

“To talk. In private.”

“I have nothing to say to you. Leave.”

“I have something you want."

“There’s noth- “

“A chance to end _them_.” He didn't need to elaborate.

There was a moment of silence before she was scrambling with the door chain and opened the door. The girl peaking through a crack in the doorway wasn’t the girl he  vaguely  remembered either. This one had limp dark hair, tangled and hiding her face. She wore dark oversized clothes and hunched in on herself. The Aiko from back then had stood tall against the world, unafraid of anything or anyone. He'd actually been a little intimidated by her. No matter how difficult they'd made her life, she'd somehow managed to survive and play their games. She'd been a force to  be reckoned  with. This person…she was a shell of her former self.

“What do you want?” Her voice was raspy, but there was a spark in her eyes. Interest or anger, he couldn't tell. But he could use it.

“Revenge.”

That spark blazed, and she stepped back to let him in.

Her home was small, but it seemed cosy from what he could see of the hallway. He didn’t go any further inside, wanting to get this over with  quickly , before turning to face her. The bodyguard stood outside, only Miles stepping in and shutting the door behind him. Aiko seemed to collapse in on herself in their presence, folding her arms over her chest as she moved away from them. The action brought to mind Casey, but he let that thought go before it could take hold.

“I’ll cut to the chase. I want to take them down. Their whole operation, everything that means anything to them. I want it all destroyed. And I need your help to do it.”

“Why me?”

“You’re the best person for the job. You want revenge, and you’ll do anything to get it.”

He thought he saw her roll her eyes. “There must be hundreds of other people you could go to. They weren’t exactly the friendliest group of people. They’ve done worse to others, so why me?”

Even though she spoke louder, her voice was still hoarse. It must have been damage from her accident but she kept her hair long and covering her face so he couldn't tell the extent of the damage.

“What happened that day?”

He knew as soon as he asked the question that it had been a mistake.  She'd stiffened and seemed to be drawing further away from him, and he could see his chance disappearing  . He was  normally  inept with social situations, but he had nothing to lose. She wasn't  just  his best shot - _she was his only shot._

“What did they do to you?” He asked  softly .

“ _They broke me!_ ” She screamed back at him, moving to stand a hairsbreadth away from him, her hair falling back in the process.

He could see her face  clearly  now.  Thin raised scars crisscrossed the entire left side of her face and neck, jagged and sharp, breaking apart her features  .  The largest scar stretched from her eyebrow, down her cheek and through her lips,  just  skipping over her eye  . He'd known that the scarring was extensive, but the hadn’t realised how much the records didn’t describe. This wasn't normal scarring from a regular accident. This looked like a brutal attack and what could have been a killing blow.  How she had gotten these scars, he didn't know, and he couldn't imagine the pain she must have endured getting these scars .

Anger flared deep in his chest, threatening to choke him. They hadn't meant for her to survive. What could a girl of seventeen without anyone to help her have done to them that she'd deserved this? Scars like these didn't  just  last on the skin.  The muscles would forever  be changed  , and her mind would never forget what she had lost the moment these had become a part of her soul  . Scars like hers would never  be removed .

Her eyes were bright but dry - she knew what her scars looked like and she'd chosen to show him the depth of the damage she'd endured  . Was enduring. She watched his reaction, seeing him study  each and every  cut into her skin.

“You want to know what happened?" She hissed at him, "They tore away every piece of me. Every dream, every thought, every little hope – _all gone_. They took it all. They didn’t try to hurt me, they killed who I was!”

Her voice had him looking up from another large, puckered scar where something had sliced across her neck  . He looked into her eyes. There it was . That spark that he recognised. Her fury . That fire was roaring within her now. He felt it in himself, an inferno waiting to wreak havoc on its creators. He'd asked about what happened to know  just  how far she would go. Seeing the same darkness that called for blood reflected in her had him repressing a grin. He knew he was manipulating her, stoking those flames higher, but he didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t  just  the best candidate; she was the only candidate. She had to agree, if only for her sanity. He'd lost that battle and now stood with everything to lose and only vengeance as a reward.

"Don't you want revenge?"

“They left me alive, knowing exactly what kind of monsters they were and stuck as a monster myself. Revenge,” she scoffed, “that’s _nothing_ compared to what I would do to them.” Her words were a growl as she moved away from him.

“I can make it happen,” he vowed.

He could see the longing in her eyes at his words. She wanted to break them, needed it as desperately as he did. There was so much in her that she wanted to let out, so much he could use. If they did this right, they would that darkness would be fed, and just maybe he could regain some semblance of normal. But rather than agree, she took a breath and stood back.

“Whatever your plan is, I won’t be able to help. I can't get close to anyone to make any sort of difference. I can’t even leave the house without  being noticed .”

“I’ll take care of everything. When my people  are done , you won’t recognise yourself. They won't see it when you come for them.”

She was bending, he could tell. She kept clenching and unclenching her fist, like she was trying to hold herself back.

“They won’t recognise you; they don’t focus on anyone but themselves. You’ll be able to get in close, find out every single one of their little secrets. Then, once we make them give us everything they have, we’ll destroy it all. You’ll see their faces as they realise exactly who you are, but it'll be too late.”

Moments passed in silence, Leo not willing to look away from Aiko to Miles to see what he thought.

“What about my mother?”

Leo almost sighed in relief at her question. _She was in_.

“What about her?”

“They did this to me because I found out about some of their plans back then. But destroying them now?  My mother is my weak point, and as much as I want them bleeding at my feet and begging for mercy, I won’t put my only remaining family at risk .”

Leo had to admit that she had a point. Her mother was a weakness.  If they did find out her identity, if they even remembered her, then it would make it easy for them to turn Aiko against him . Protecting her mother was in his best interests as much as hers.

“I’ll have my people take care of her until we take them down. Agreed?”

“When do we start?”

***

* * *

***

Leo stood by the bank of windows in the penthouse suite, watching lights turn out beneath him as the city settled in for the night . The city below had no idea what would happen in the next few weeks, but he did. He was ready for the coming war. The city would hear their screams and he'd sell his soul to make sure of it.

The sound of heels clicking behind him had him turning from the buildings below to the woman that would bring him victory .

Leo stood still as she approached, taking in Aiko’s new face. Plastic surgery and a lot of recovery time hadn’t dulled the fire in her gaze. It still burned  just  as  fiercely  now as it had when they had first made their pact.  The scarring was almost impossible to see now if you didn’t know where to look for it, hidden beneath  expertly  applied makeup . Her hair, now coloured and styled to further hide scars, and her clothes hid her behind the veneer of an heiress. His styling team had done well.

Gone was the weak cowering girl, hunched over and hiding in the dark. Now stood a woman with a steel backbone and a thirst for blood.

“Ready?”

She smiled, a cruel twist of lips that were still  slightly  scarred and nodded. He handed her a folder.

“Then it begins.”


	3. Chapter 3

Aiko took a breath as she stood in the private elevator. Weeks later and she was still shocked by the changes.  Her reflection showed a hazy figure in a fitted black asymmetric dress, her diamonds shooting sparks of light all around her . Her hair was a mass of auburn waves arranged around her face and she’d applied the makeup with her assistant’s help.

When she’d agreed to Leo’s plan, she’d thought he was insane. But like he’d promised, she looked completely different and nobody had recognised her.

_She_ didn’t recognise _herself_. She found herself smirking at that. They would never see her coming.

The Sommers Trio were a ruthless family. Twins Hana and Kane, and their cousin Jade, were ruthless in their rule over the city.  Their family had made their fortunes when the city was still a small town centuries ago, and that legacy had only grown since  . They ruled and nobody matched them in power or ruthlessness. What they said was law, and their money ensured it. But the Trio, as the latest generation of Sommers  were known  as, were the worst of them. What their money couldn't get them, they were happy to bloody their hands to get. They didn't care who stood in their way. There was no mercy.

_She'd show them the true meaning of no mercy,_ the darker part of her whispered.

The elevator pinged as she reached her floor and she had to stop herself again from rearranging her hair to cover her face  .  She couldn’t stop the urge to hide herself, always worried that someone would spot the residual scarring . She had to remind herself that her scars were minimal now, but it was instinctual now. It would take a while before she got used to her new face.

As the doors sprung open, she pulled back her shoulders and stepped out into the ballroom set up for this evening’s event . People milled about in groups, dressed in their finery. The sound of light chatter and laughter filled the air, and she took a deep breath before wading in. This wasn’t her first night out over the last couple of weeks, but she still got nervous every time.

Tonight, she  just  had to remember two things: face whoever she was talking to and get close to everyone she ran into that evening  . Her jewellery had miniature cameras and recording devices embedded between the diamonds.  Tonight’s party was  just  another day of her collecting information on those  potentially  close to the Trio or linked to their network  .  Although she hated mingling, she found that she had a knack for striking up conversations and getting people to talk to her . Barrington Prep had definitely given her lifelong skills, alongside other things.

She was also targeting one woman in particular – Vanna Evans was a close friend of Jade Sommers.  If she could get close to her, it was another step closer to getting closer to the Trio, and that tiny bit closer to getting what she wanted .

Leo had also uploaded a particular piece of software onto the phone he’d given her. The virus jumped between phones via WIFI signals, giving him and his team a way to link them to the Trio.  More  importantly  , this virus’ ability to transfer itself via WIFI signals gave Leo a way into these people’s homes and businesses without having anything linked back to him . An all-access-pass to find the links they needed to rip apart the Trio's organisation.

But prolonged contact was the key for it to transfer without it getting disrupted and found.

Her phone pinged. _How is it on your end?_

_Everything is going well. Planning to meet a lot of business contacts tonight._

They had to be careful in case anyone hacked her phone or got a hold of it. Texting in code was difficult, but she wasn’t going to risk it. She had a lot on the line, and nothing was going to get in her way.  Her blood heated at the thought of tonight's information harvest; one step closer at finding everything they needed .

With that in mind, Aiko moved around the party, making a circuit of the room.  Throughout the night, she mingled with people she’d met over the last couple of weeks and  was introduced  to new people.  She talked with everyone, not moving on until her phone vibrated - a signal that the virus had transferred to everyone within her radius.

As she made her way through the throngs of people, she realised that she hadn’t spotted Hana, Jade or Kane Sommers again  . Leo had gotten the Trio's itinerary for the next few weeks and they should have been here. But as the night wore on, there was still no sign of them. While it was disappointing, she didn't want to face them yet. She wanted to  be armed  with as much information as possible before she faced them.

Spotting Miss Evans slipping off to the bathrooms, Aiko made her way after her.  Stepping inside and finding nobody else there, Aiko waited by the large floor-length mirrors, pretending to fix her hair and makeup . Vanna Evans was the daughter of a CEO and loved her position in life. She’d been to one of the best colleges and had a degree, but it wasn’t worth much since she didn’t use it. Instead, she used her position as a social influencer to help her father's business. It made her the perfect friend for Jade Sommers and the kind of person that Aiko didn’t have time for. But they needed a way to get close to the Sommers Trio, and this was their best chance.

It wasn’t long before Vanna was out and washing her hands.

“What do you think?” Aiko asked her as she reapplied her lipstick.

Vanna looked over to her reflection.

“That’s a gorgeous colour,” Vanna replied as if on autopilot. Her smile was thin and she was hurrying as  quickly  as she  politely  could.

“It’s one of Carvianni’s new lipstick shades but  I think  this shade was a little too daring for tonight. Don't you think?”

Aiko registered Vanna’s shock in the mirror as the woman froze on her way out, but pretended that she hadn’t. Of course the reclusive designer's name would work, she'd known it would. An influencer like her would do anything to make themselves stand out. It was a good thing that Leo had the connections he did.

Aiko shook her head, sighing.

“She definitely won’t be happy if she doesn’t see any pictures of me wearing it tonight,” she continued.

“You know Melissa Carvianni?” Vanna stepped back into the bathroom. Aiko could already see the greed in her face replacing the shock.

“She’s a dear friend, so when she asks me to try out one of her new products, how can I refuse?” Aiko turned then to face Vanna. “Actually, this colour would look amazing with your complexion. Would you like to try it?”

Vanna didn’t even pause to ask who this strange woman talking to her in the bathroom was. She glided forward, took the lipstick from Aiko’s hand and applied it to her own lips. Aiko had to hold herself still to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the opportunistic brat.

“I was right. It does look stunning on you,” she  automatically  complimented.

Vanna beamed back at her, testing her profile and puckering her lips in the mirror. Her phone was in her hand  instantly  taking shots in the mirror, and Aiko let her. This was all part of her plan.

“Actually, Melissa was looking for someone to help test out her latest products. Since you seem to like this one so much, why don’t you give me your phone number and I’ll pass on your details to her? She loves it when people look good in her work and you would definitely make a great model.”

Vanna could only squeal in delight as she gave over her phone number and all her social media handles. They even took a few photos together, tagging Carvianni Cosmetics in them. Aiko played her part, even posing like the stylists had shown her and made her practice.

"I'm Aila Kingston,” she introduced herself.

"Vana Evans, of Evans Inc."

“I’m glad to have met you tonight Vana.  I’ve  just  returned to the country so when Melissa asked if I had any friends she could use as models for her products, I had no names to give her . Now, she can’t say that I’m a bad friend,” Aiko joked, softening her voice at the mention of not knowing anyone as though she was shy about that.

“Oh? Where did you move from?” Aiko could tell she  was intrigued  more with the prospect of more free products than being a 'friend'. But Vana was a shark, and she smelled the blood in the water - being able to get Aiko on her side completely from the beginning would give her unbelievable access to something nobody else in her friend group had. That was what Aiko's plan was counting on.

“My father owns a lot of international companies, so we’ve been moving all around the world since I was a child. But we’re moving back here for the foreseeable future." This was the story Leo had set up.  An international heiress who knew the family business was the sort of person that the Trio would want to know .

“Then it's decided. I am going to be your guide to the city. I know everyone who is anyone.”

Aiko grinned. “That would be amazing."

“Let’s go introduce you to some of my friends, Aila. They are going to _love_ you.”

Aiko let Vanna drag her out of the bathrooms and to the group of young people that Aiko hadn’t yet met. They were all daughters and sons of people at this event and like the Trio, they were a close-knit group to get into. She’d needed an invitation and Vanna was as good as any.

Aiko let her make the introductions. A lot of questions  were hurled  Aiko’s way, but she kept her answers vague. They accepted everything she told them. It wasn't difficult for them to believe.  They could tell how she fit in with their group, her mannerisms, the diamonds and the designer dress making all working to her advantage  .  From Vanna’s hushed whispers with two of the girls, her ruse in the bathroom seemed to have opened even more doors for her than anticipated  .  It also helped that some had already heard whispers from their parents mentioning her "family's company"  .  It boosted her standing amongst them, knowing that they could make their parents happy with their association . It wouldn't be long before it reached the Trio, and they reached out to her. In the meantime, she needed to keep gather any information she could.

She  eventually  left the Vanna and her followers with a promise to get in touch soon and made her way around the room. Now with a step closer to the Trio, the evening didn’t seem quite as tedious as she had thought it would be.  A quick look at her phone showed no new messages, and she’d felt that tell-tale vibration earlier that the virus had done its job .

After another circuit of the room, she needed a drink, and headed to the bar that had been set up.

“- Kane’s tomorrow night.”

Hearing Kane’s name so  suddenly  had her stopping in her tracks. She looked around, wondering if he’d come in when she wasn’t looking.  Not finding him or any of the others anywhere she looked, she puled out her phone from her purse and pretended to be reading a text  . Meanwhile, she moved around  slowly , trying to find who had spoken his name.

“…their party … last time … so much fun…”

Aiko identified the two voices belonging to two women standing not far from her.  They were  clearly  trying to hide what they were discussing, talking in hushed tones in a secluded corner . Aiko stepped close and listened as best she could.

“Have you … invited this time … private invitation … Jade chose …”

Aiko had to keep herself still, not wanting to draw the women’s attention.  Without getting any closer and blowing her cover, she couldn’t catch everything  being said . But the recording devices she was wearing should have picked something up. She texted Leo.

_Check out the song I'm listening to. I haven’t heard it before, but it sounds interesting. Have you heard it?_

She hoped he understood. It took a few minutes, the women having moved away moments after texting him, before she got a message back.

_No. Try asking about it._

Aiko took the advice and grabbed a drink. Glass in hand, she spotted the two women from earlier and approached them.

“Excuse me. I don’t mean to bother you, but that dress looks  absolutely  amazing on you. Where did you get it?”

After striking up a conversation with the two women long enough for her phone to buzz, she made her approach.

“I’ll definitely be heading over to that store. I  just  hope there’s another party soon so I can show it off,” she joked.

“There’s usually something every other week,” one of the women said, holding her glass close to her lips.

Aiko recognised the gesture for what it was. The woman was hiding something and putting up the glass as a barrier. She wouldn’t be getting anything out of that one with this light subterfuge.

“Definitely, I’m sure someone is setting something up as we speak.”  This one seemed more forthcoming than her friend, but neither looked like they would offer her any more information .

“That’s a relief. I want time to get some shopping done before the next one!” She talked with them a little longer before making her excuses and leaving them for the bar.

Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick text before getting a glass of water.

_Couldn’t get the name of the song. Have you been able to search for it?_

The response this time was quicker.

_No. We'll keep trying to find it._

Thanking the bartender, she messaged the driver and made her way out of the party and to the waiting car. She needed to meet with Leo and discuss a new strategy to reach the Trio.  These parties were getting them the information they needed but the Trio weren't going to show up any time soon . They needed another way to get closer to the Trio.


End file.
